"I have come for the giant"s rent," answered Yvon calmly.
"How much do you want?"
"I never want any more than I can carry," replied the Breton.
"It is well for you that you do not," returned the man in flames. "Enter this cavern, and you will find what you want."
Yvon entered, and opened his eyes wide. Everywhere he saw nothing but gold, silver, diamonds, carbuncles, and emeralds. They were as numerous as the sands on the seash.o.r.e. The young Kerver filled a sack, threw it across his shoulder, and tranquilly returned home.
His task finished, our Breton seated himself on the bench before the door of the house. As soon as he saw the giant coming, he lolled back in his seat, crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his native airs.
"Have you been to the bottomless pit to collect my rent?" asked the giant, with a frown.
"Yes, master," answered Yvon, without taking the trouble to stir. "The sack is there right before your eyes; you can count it."
"I am going to see for myself!" howled the giant. He untied the strings of the sack, which was so full that the gold and silver rolled in all directions.
"You have seen my Finette," he cried; "this trick did not come from your own head."
"Don"t you know but one song," said Yvon, opening his mouth and shutting his eyes. "It is the old story, myfinette, myfinette. Once for all, show me this thing."
"Well, well," roared the giant with fury, "wait till to-morrow, and you shall make her acquaintance!"
"Thank you, master," said Yvon. "It is very good of you; but I see from your face that you are laughing at me."
III
THE next morning the giant went out without giving Yvon any orders, which troubled Finette. At noon he returned without his flock, complaining of the heat and fatigue, and said to the young girl:
"You will find a child, my servant, at the door. Cut his throat, put him into the great pot to boil, and call me when the broth is ready." Saying this he stretched himself on the bed to take a nap, and was soon snoring so loud that it seemed like thunder shaking the mountains.
Finette prepared a log of wood, took a large knife, and called Yvon. She p.r.i.c.ked his little finger; three drops of blood fell on the log.
"That is enough," said Finette; "now help me to fill the pot."
They threw into it all that they could find--old clothes, old shoes, old carpets, and everything else. Finette then took Yvon by the hand, and led him through the three antechambers, where she ran in a mold three bullets of gold, two bullets of silver, and one bullet of copper, after which they quitted the house and ran toward the sea.
"_On--the Kerver!_" cried Yvon, as soon as he saw himself in the country. "Explain yourself, dear Finette; what farce are we playing now?"
"Let us run--let us run!" she cried; "if we do not quit this wretched island before night, it is all over with us."
"_On--the Kerver!_" replied Yvon laughing, "and down with the giant!"
When he had snored a full hour, the giant stretched his limbs, half opened one eye, and cried, "Is it ready?"
"It is just beginning to boil," answered the first drop of blood on the log.
The giant turned over, and snored louder than ever for an hour or two longer. Then he stretched his limbs, half opened one eye, and cried out, "Do you hear me? Is it almost ready?"
"It is half done," answered the second drop of blood on the log.
The giant turned over, and slept an hour longer. Then he yawned, stretched his great limbs, and cried out impatiently, "Isn"t it ready yet?"
"It is ready now," answered the third drop of blood on the log.
The giant sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and looked around to see who had spoken; but it was in vain to look; he saw n.o.body.
"Finette!" howled he, "why isn"t the table set?"
There was no answer. The giant, furious, sprang out of bed, seized a ladle, which looked like a caldron with a pitchfork for a handle, and plunged it into the pot to taste the soup.
"Finette!" howled he, "you haven"t salted it. What sort of a soup is this? I see neither meat nor vegetables."
No; but, in return, he saw his carpet, which had not quite all boiled to pieces. At this sight he fell into such a fit of rage that he could not keep his feet.
"Villains!" said he, "you have played a fine trick on me; but you shall pay for it!"
He rushed out with a stick in his hand, and strode along at such a rate that in a quarter of an hour he discovered the two fugitives still far from the seash.o.r.e. He uttered such a cry of joy that the earth shook for twelve leagues around.
Finette stopped, trembling. Yvon clasped her to his heart.
"_On--the Kerver!_" said he; "the sea is not far off; we shall be there before our enemy."
"Here he is! here he is!" cried Finette, pointing to the giant not a hundred yards off; "we are lost if this charm does not save us."
She took the copper bullet and threw it on the ground, saying:
"Copper bullet, save us, pray, Stop the giant on his way."
And behold, the earth cracked apart with a terrific noise, and an enormous fissure, a bottomless pit, stopped the giant just as he was stretching out his hand to seize his prey.
"Let us fly!" cried Finette, grasping the arm of Yvon, who was gazing at the giant with a swaggering air, defying him to come on.
The giant ran backward and forward along the abyss like a bear in his cage, seeking a pa.s.sage everywhere and finding none; then, with a furious jerk, he tore up an immense oak by the roots, and flung it across the gap. The branches of the oak nearly crushed the children as it fell. The giant seated himself astride the huge tree, which bent under his weight, and crept slowly along, suspended between heaven and earth, entangled as he was among the branches. When he reached the other side, Yvon and Finette were already on the sh.o.r.e with the sea rolling before them.
Alas! there was neither bark nor ship. The fugitives were lost. Yvon, always brave, picked up stones to attack the giant, and to sell his life dearly. Finette, trembling with fear, threw one of the silver bullets into the sea, saying:
"Silver bullet, bright and pliant, Save us from this frightful giant."
Scarcely had she spoken the magic words when a beautiful ship rose from the waves like a swan spreading its white wings. Yvon and Finette plunged into the sea; a rope was thrown them by an invisible hand; and when the furious giant reached the sh.o.r.e, the ship was receding rapidly at full sail, leaving behind it a long furrow of shining foam.
Giants do not like the water. This fact is certified to by old Homer, who knew Polyphemus; and the same observation will be found in all natural histories worthy of the name. Finette"s master resembled Polyphemus. He roared with rage when he saw his slaves about to escape him. He ran hesitatingly along the sh.o.r.e; he flung huge ma.s.ses of rock after the vessel, which happily fell by the side of it, and only made great black holes in the water; and, finally, mad with anger he plunged head foremost into the sea, and began to swim after the ship with frightful speed. At each stroke he advanced forty feet, blowing like a whale, and like a whale cleaving the waves. By degrees he gained on his enemies; one more effort would bring him within reach of the rudder, and already he was stretching out his arm to seize it, when Finette threw the second silver bullet into the sea, and cried, in tears:
"Silver bullet, bright and pliant, Save us from this frightful giant."
Suddenly from the midst of the foam darted forth a gigantic swordfish, with a sword at least twenty feet in length. It rushed straight toward the giant, who scarcely had time to dive, chased him under the water, pursued him on the top of the waves, followed him closely whichever way he turned, and forced him to flee as fast as he could to his island, where he finally landed with the greatest difficulty, and fell upon the sh.o.r.e dripping, worn out, and conquered.